D.C. Area Babies
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s/o-breast pumping-sort of...
So for those of you who do pump at work...I am due in the next month or so and was thinking last weekend when I purchased my breast pump (PISA tote) that OMG, I will have a diaper bag (which will obviously go with baby to the sitter), the breast pump, purse and lunch?!? Needless to say, add the baby to that mess and getting out the door at 5 am, yes I said 5 am, and I am feeling a little overwhelmed. Now, I don't have a lot in my purse, my necessities are really my wallet, cell phone (which if I wear a coat stays in my coat), work ID, pager (yes, pager, I know it's 1998 in my world) gum and an easy snack. I was thinking I could somehow find an alternative to the purse for the year or so that I'll be pumping (at least on during the workweek), but I also want something contained that can be stashed in my locker for safe keeping or pulled out of the bag easily to run into a store. I feel like that will at least get me down to a tote and a lunch for my personal use items. So what do you ladies do? Do you carry three items or do you have an alternative? Any suggestions would be appreciated. Thanks in advance!
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Re: s/o-breast pumping-sort of...
I lug, I lug lots of stuff.
I put whatever I can in the car the night before (we have a garage). In the cold months, I'll put my lunch in the car. I sometimes put the bag where I keep my filled-with-milk bottles in the car. But then I'm that person lugging a gazillion things from the car into the building at work.
Some women leave the pump at work but I always take it home.
Yep, I got called the bag lady lots of times...
I did get one of the BIG vera bags from DH last Christmas, which was perfect because my lunch and purse plus any work stuff I had taken home all fit in there. So, it was just that bag and the pump. Well, plus the bag of bottles that I left at daycare.
Good luck!
I'm so lucky that I don't have to do a daycare dropoff yet.
I leave the house with:
pump bag
lunch bag
purse
breakfast and water bottle.
Thank goodness I drive to work - it makes it a bit more manageable.
I might start carrying a tote rather than a purse, so I could maybe consolidae the purse, lunch bag and water bottle.
I posted basically the same message a month or so before I gave birth! My sister had given me her ancient but working Medela pump which was HUGE (and had a gold buckle on the strap...ew). I was reluctant to have to lug that to work every day. What I ended up doing was right before I started work, I bit the bullet and bought a PISA backpack for work, since I would be pumping 3 times daily, I wanted something that was in tip top shape.
I have access to a microwave and a locking storage space at work, so I leave my PISA at work and use the microwave steam bag at the end of each day. I bring it home on weekends.
I also bring a reusable grocery/tote bag to carry back and forth my freezer carrier for the pumped milk, and I put my lunch, umbrella, cardigan, etc. in there too.
Up to this point, I've had a larger handbag, but I'm thinking about switching to just a small purse that will carry my wallet, phone, ipod, sunglasses.
I can telework sometimes, so there are times that I lug my laptop home with me along with all that, but if I can save the work on a thumb drive and work off that and remote email, I do that whenever possible.
DH does daycare drop off, so he brings the diaper bag with C and the carseat, so I collect all that at the end of the day when I do daycare pick up.
Artslvr had some really good suggestions when I posted my question, so hopefully she will chime in. Good luck! You will find a system that works for you.
I haven't had to go back yet, but I was thinking of the same issue, plus I will have to bring my laptop back and forth every.single.day. So, I splurged and bought a wallet that doubles as a clutch (it fits my iphone, lip gloss, and i can squeeze in keys if needed) so I can toss it in my laptop bag, diaper bag, pump bag, or purse, depending on where I'm going. This is the wallet/clutch, they have tons of styles and colors: https://www.zappos.com/hobo-international-lauren-cobalt-vintage-leather
At least that's one bag less most days!
Aw, thanks pp, I love it when someone says that something I posted helped them! Of course, I'm not sure what I said....
But what I usually tell people is that when I exclusively pumped for all three of my kids I did tote the pump back and forth from work because I had to use it both at work and at home. What I did was get a carry-on suitcase-type-rolly bag with a handle and wheels. I have the PISA that came with a tote bag, but instead of using the bag, I loaded the pump, three sets of pump parts (the three sets is bulky but not heavy- this is because when I pumped at work there was no good way to wash out parts), my little cooler with an ice pack, my lunch, and my coffee mug in a pocket on the side of the rolly bag. Then I just had that and my purse to bring to work, and on some days I skipped the purse all together and just stuck my wallet and ID down the side of a pocket in the rolly bag.
And as far as the daycare/diaper bag and just carting bags around - you should see it with three kids - my husband loads our minivan every morning with all of our crap. Between the two smaller kids' daycare bags, my rolly suitcase and purse, DH's laptop backpack, and on Mondays my oldest daughter brings her nap pillow and blanket back to school after cleaning it over the weekend - and I swear if you saw all that crap being loaded into the van you'd think we were leaving town for a week!!!!
This is what I was thinking as well. I was thinking if I could find something that could consolidate my most relevant items (wallet, cell, work id, etc.) then throw that in the bag that would be best. I happened across something like a wristlet that might work. https://www.zappos.com/keen-hazel-wristlet-wallet-smoke-black-black-deep-sea
I figure that can at least get me down to a tote (i.e. breast pump) and a lunch. I'd almost prefer if these companies could just make the tote bigger and allow us to squeeze a lunch in there.
LOL, I've been searching for days. Like you, most the ones I find are either pricey or ugly.
I think it is the best solution...maybe we need to design/create our own and the DC bump moms can sell it and split the profit for our children's future!
i supply diapers and wipes at my DC. i bring them in large quantities and leave them there. they let me know when i'm running low. i bring a few changes of clothing and burp cloths on monday. that usually lasts through the week.
i leave the pump at work until friday.
i carry a large purse so that i can stash a couple diapers and a small travel case of wipes and an extra outfit in it.
I keep stalking babysteals for one. Sometimes they have really cute ones by JuJuBe but I'm always too slow. I figure my wallet will have to go by the wayside for the diaper bag years so that I can put my phone in the same "thing" as my ID, $$ etc.
You've already gotten lots of great advice from the ladies...but I just had to echo this one...we only have 2 kids, but the year that I was pumping and had to bring bottles to daycare for #2, I seriously felt like we were moving out every morning!! It's so nice now that we are each down to one bag per family member;)
hollace - how about this wristlet?
https://bananarepublic.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=8130990020000&cid=39245
There's a 30% off coupon that expires today - BRking30. It makes it $62, I think. I have a BR handbag that I adore so I think I'm going to get this.
Not bad. I was looking at this one online today as well. https://www.zappos.com/product/7574297/color/304672?zlfid=111
I wish it were more of a wristlet, but I like the look and that there are areas inside for organization. It's about the same one as the BR link you posted.
Here's a good one: https://www.verabradley.com/product/Bistro-Clutch/1001023/defaultColor/Black+Nylon/p/1001023.uts. Washable is probably a good idea if it will be hanging out in my diaper bag.
And it's on sale, too! I might get it and then also get a patterned one for fun..
Good find. I had looked at her website and I did not come across that one at all. $5 shipping today too. Where are the patterned ones?